2003 New Brunswick general election

Last updated

2003 New Brunswick general election
Flag of New Brunswick.svg
  1999 June 9, 2003 2006  

55 seats of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
28 seats needed for a majority
Turnout68.67% [1]
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Bernard Lord crop.jpg Shawn Graham 2007 (cropped).JPG
NDP
Leader Bernard Lord Shawn Graham Elizabeth Weir
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since199720021988
Leader's seat Moncton East Kent Saint John Harbour
Last election44101
Seats won28261
Seat changeDecrease2.svg16Increase2.svg16Steady2.svg
Popular vote174,092170,02836,989
Percentage45.4%44.4%9.7%
SwingDecrease2.svg7.6%Increase2.svg7.1%Increase2.svg0.9%

Nb2003.PNG
Map of New Brunswick's ridings coloured in based on the winning parties and their popular vote

Premier before election

Bernard Lord
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Bernard Lord
Progressive Conservative

Rendition of party representation in the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election.
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Progressive Conservatives (28)
Liberals (26)
New Democrats (1) Nb-seating-2003.png
Rendition of party representation in the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election.
  Progressive Conservatives (28)
  Liberals (26)
  New Democrats (1)

The 2003 New Brunswick general election was held on June 9, 2003, to elect 55 members to the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly. Although polls initially suggested a landslide victory for Premier Bernard Lord's Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, the dynamics of the race shifted after Shawn Graham, leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick, took on auto insurance rates as a key issue of his campaign. Lord and the Progressive Conservatives were ultimately re-elected by a narrow margin of just 2 seats.

Contents

Campaign

Leading up to the election, New Brunswick had its car insurance rates skyrocket. The Liberal Party of New Brunswick consequently focused its campaign on three points:

  1. improved universal health care,
  2. keeping the province's electric utility, NB Power, as a public crown corporation, and
  3. the lowering of automobile insurance rates.

On the other hand, the campaign of Premier Bernard Lord and his Progressive Conservative Party faced a number of problems, especially after changing its position on the key issue of auto insurance several times during the 30-day campaign.

The results were very close, and for most of election night as the results came in, the winner was unclear. Shawn Graham was even heard to remark on television as the night was drawing to a close that "Up to 5 minutes ago, I thought I was Premier". [2]

New Democratic Party of New Brunswick leader Elizabeth Weir was the only member of her party to win a seat. The party ran 55 candidates throughout the province.

The newly founded but short-lived New Brunswick Grey Party, a branch of the Grey Party of Canada, also ran 10 candidates, including party leader Jim Webb.

Results

Results by party

Summary of the 2003 Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick election results
PartyParty leader# of
candidates
SeatsPopular vote
1999 Dissolution Elected% Change#%Change
Progressive Conservative Bernard Lord 55444628-39.1%174,09245.45%-7.6%
Liberal Shawn Graham 5510726+271%170,02844.39%+7.1%
New Democratic Elizabeth Weir 55111-36,9899.66%+0.9%
Grey Jim Webb 10n/a1-- 1,5500.40%n/a1
 Independent2--- 4150.11%-0.1%
 Vacant1 
Total177555555-383,074100%
Source: http://www.gnb.ca/elections

1 The Grey Party did not contest the 1999 election.

Popular vote
PC
45.45%
Liberal
44.39%
New Democratic
9.66%
Others
0.50%
Seats summary
PC
50.91%
Liberal
47.27%
New Democratic
1.82%

Results by region

Party NameNorth
NB
East
NB
S. East
NB
Greater
Saint John/
Fundy Coast
Greater
Fred.
Upper
Saint John River
Valley
Total
  Progressive
Conservative
Seats:23864528
 Popular Vote:45.9%42.4%49.5%39.8%42.1%55.1%45.4%
  Liberal Seats:85254226
 Popular Vote:47.7%50.2%42.0%41.0%44.3%40.6%44.4%
  New
Democratic
Seats:---1--1
 Popular Vote:6.4%7.4%7.9%17.2%13.4%4.3%9.7%
Total seats:10810128755
Parties that won no seats:
Grey Popular Vote:--0.3%1.8%0.2%-0.4%
 IndependentsPopular Vote:--0.3%0.3%--0.1%

Candidates

Party leaders and cabinet ministers are denoted in bold.

Northern New Brunswick

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
1. Restigouche West Benoît Cyr 2,523 Burt Paulin 4,008Antoine Duguay 257 Benoît Cyr
2. Campbellton Jean F. Dubé 2,771 Roy Boudreau 3,979Murray Mason 294  Jean F. Dubé
3. Dalhousie-Restigouche East Paul McIntyre 3,088 Donald Arseneault 3,445Joel Hickey 645  Dennis Furlong
4. Nigadoo-Chaleur Hermel Vienneau 3,529 Roland Haché 3,887Kate Hayward 380 Roland Haché
5. Bathurst Nancy MacKay 3,252 Brian Kenny 3,348Mark Robar 304  Marcelle Mersereau
6. Nepisiguit Joel Bernard 2,200 Frank Branch 3,498Normand Savoie 894 Joel Bernard
7. Caraquet Gaston Moore 3,550 Hédard Albert 3,649Gérard Béland 457 Gaston Moore
8. Lamèque-Shippagan-Miscou Paul Robichaud 4,788Denis Roussel 2,846Jean-Baptiste Bezeau 335 Paul Robichaud
9. Centre-Péninsule Louis-Philippe McGraw 3,045 Denis Landry 3,097Rose Duguay 396 Louis-Phillipe McGraw
10. Tracadie-Sheila Elvy Robichaud 4,583Weldon McLaughlin 2,894Stéphane Richardson 661 Elvy Robichaud

Eastern New Brunswick

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
11. Miramichi Bay Réjean Savoie 3,050 Carmel Robichaud 3,227Hilaire Rouselle 729 Réjean Savoie
12. Miramichi-Bay du Vin Michael Malley 3,917Frank Trevors 3,464Dwayne Hancock 490 Michael Malley
13. Miramichi Centre Kim Jardine 3,149 John Foran 3,763Lance Lyons 663 Kim Jardine
14. Southwest Miramichi Norman Betts 2,823 Rick Brewer 3,395Chris Ashford 332 Norman Betts
15. Rogersville-Kouchibouguac Rose-May Poirier 3,289Maurice Richard 2,968Oscar Doucet 404 Rose-May Poirier
16. Kent Valmond Joseph Daigle 1,905 Shawn Graham 3,615Jerry Cook 958 Shawn Graham
17. Kent South Claude Williams 4,933Stephen Doucet 4,065Neil Gardner 671 Claude Williams
18. Shediac-Cap-Pélé Odette Babineau 3,063 Bernard Richard 6,464Claudette Beland 313 Bernard Richard

Southeastern New Brunswick

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
19. Tantramar Peter Mesheau 2,922Susan Purdy 1,569Geoff Martin 522 Peter Mesheau
20. Dieppe-Memramcook Cy LeBlanc 5,541Elie Richard 5,451Hélène Lapointe 786 Cy LeBlanc
21. Moncton East Bernard Lord 4,177Chris Collins 3,113Jean-Marie Nadeau 724 Bernard Lord
22. Moncton South Joan MacAlpine 3,143Norman Branch 2,710Stéphane Drysdale 437Jean-Marc Dugas (Ind.) 226
John Gallant (Grey) 72
Joan MacAlpine
23. Moncton North René Landry 3,054 Mike Murphy 3,555Nancy McBain 543 René Landry
24. Moncton Crescent John Betts 4,230Ray Goudreau 3,776Richard Goulding 628 John Betts
25. Petitcodiac Wally Stiles 3,481Bethany Dykstra 1,849Tracy Trott 298Dan Leaman (Grey) 120Wally Stiles
26. Riverview Bruce Fitch 3,794Ward White 3,287John Falconer 391 vacant
27. Albert Wayne Steeves 3,198Clark Butland 2,311Pat Pearson 457 Wayne Steeves
28. Kings East Doug Cosman 2,713 Leroy Armstrong 3,169George Horton 996 Doug Cosman

Greater Saint John & Fundy Coast

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
29. Hampton-Belleisle Bev Harrison 3,392Bob Bates 2,736 Pat Hanratty 1,336John Hughes (Grey) 208Bev Harrison
30. Kennebecasis Brenda Fowlie 3,265Murray Driscoll 3,247Kenneth Wilcox 970 Brenda Fowlie
31. Saint John-Fundy Rodney Weston 2,271 Stuart Jamieson 2,698Liam Freill 517Marjorie MacMurray (Grey) 172Rodney Weston
32. Saint John-Kings Margaret-Ann Blaney 3,135Tom Young 2,456Jeff Thibodeau 791Mark LeBlanc (Grey) 145Margaret-Ann Blaney
33. Saint John Champlain Mel Vincent 1,501 Roly MacIntyre 2,160Ralph Thomas 1,507Bill Richard Reid (Grey) 223 Carole Keddy
34. Saint John Harbour Dennis Boyle 1,286Anne-Marie Mullin 1,231 Elizabeth Weir 1,929 Elizabeth Weir
35. Saint John Portland Trevor Holder 2,436Colleen Knudson 2,307Mary Arseneau 1,191 Trevor Holder
36. Saint John Lancaster Norm McFarlane 2,633 Abel LeBlanc 2,942Walter Lee 1,365 Jim Webb (Grey) 170Norm McFarlane
37. Grand Bay-Westfield Milt Sherwood 2,209Kevin Quinn 1,991Percy Ward 556Ben Perry (Grey) 193
Colby Fraser (Ind.) 189
Milt Sherwood
38. Charlotte Sharon Tucker 1,573 Rick Doucet 2,777Patty Hooper 1,149Harold Smith (Grey) 118 Sheldon Lee
39. Fundy Isles Burton Flynn 1,124 Eric Allaby 1,359Dick Grant 94 Eric Allaby
40. Western Charlotte Tony Huntjens 2,854Madeleine Drummie 2,662Andrew Graham 554 Tony Huntjens

Greater Fredericton

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
41. Oromocto-Gagetown Jody Carr 4,314Maurice Harquail 2,140Terry Hovey 392James Lee (Grey) 129Jody Carr
42. Grand Lake David Jordan 2,058 Eugene McGinley 4,376David Babineau 614 David Jordan
43. Fredericton North D. Peter Forbes 3,211 T.J. Burke 4,163Dennis Atchison 1,418 D. Peter Forbes
44. Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak Eric MacKenzie 2,364 Kelly Lamrock 2,925Penny Ericson 1,531 Eric MacKenzie
45. Fredericton South Brad Green 3,309Misty McLaughlin 2,797Nan Luke 1,832 Brad Green
46. New Maryland Keith Ashfield 3,719 Joan Kingston 3,502Kay Nandlall 923 Keith Ashfield
47. York Don Kinney 3,278 Scott Targett 3,783Gary Hughes 618 Don Kinney
48. Mactaquac Kirk MacDonald 3,337Ray Dillon 3,236Phillip Morgan 817 Kirk MacDonald

Upper Saint John River Valley

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
49. Woodstock David Alward 4,605Lorne Drake 2,400Nancy Reid 286 David Alward
50. Carleton Dale Graham 4,190Grant Robinson 2,287Betty Brown 482 Dale Graham
51. Victoria-Tobique Dennis Campbell 2,001 Larry Kennedy 3,386Harvey Bass 502 Larry Kennedy
52. Grand Falls Region Jean-Guy Laforest 2,586 Ron Ouellette 4,385Pierre Cyr 192 Jean-Guy Laforest
53. Madawaska-la-Vallée Percy Mockler 3,858Claude Malenfant 1,848Mario Fortunato 201 Percy Mockler
54. Edmundston Madeleine Dubé 3,917Margot Albert 1,841Blair McInnis 110  Madeleine Dubé
55. Madawaska-les-Lacs Jeannot Volpé 3,965Louis LaBrie 2,391Jason Carney 187 Jeannot Volpé

See also

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References

  1. Elections New Brunswick, Canada (February 5, 2014). "Provincial Election Results - Elections NB". www.electionsnb.ca.
  2. "New Brunswick Votes 2003". CBC. June 10, 2003. Archived from the original on February 15, 2004.

Further reading